On a crucial football evening at King Khalid Sports City Stadium in Tabuk, veteran French striker Alexandre Lacazette led his team, Neom, to a valuable victory over their guest, Al-Riyadh , with a score of one goal to nil, as part of the twenty-first round of the Saudi Professional League.
The only goal of the match came in the 55th minute, when Lacazette received a perfect pass inside the penalty area, and fired a powerful shot that nestled into the far right corner of the goal of Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan, giving his team three valuable points that strengthened their position in the standings.
Match details and events
The match saw both teams exchange attacks from the outset. Al-Riyadh almost opened the scoring early in the sixth minute through their Senegalese striker, Mamadou Sylla, but his shot went just wide. Neom responded with a dangerous opportunity in the 31st minute when their goalkeeper, Luis Maximiano, made a brilliant save from a shot by Al-Riyadh's French player, Teddy Oko. Before the end of the first half, Abdulaziz Noor missed a clear chance for Neom in the 40th minute, firing his shot wide. After Lacazette's goal, Al-Riyadh tried to get back into the game, with their Portuguese striker, Leandro Antunes, missing several chances, most notably in the 58th, 69th, and 79th minutes, but Neom's defense and goalkeeper prevented them from equalizing.
General context and importance of the win for NEOM
This victory further strengthens the ambitions of NEOM FC, one of the largest future projects in Saudi Arabia. It reflects the club's strategy, which aligns with the remarkable growth of the Saudi Professional League (SPL ), where Saudi clubs have attracted top international football stars, raising the level of competition and global interest in the league. The signing of a player of Alexandre Lacazette's caliber, with his impressive career at major European clubs like Arsenal and Olympique Lyonnais, demonstrates the club's desire to build a team capable of competing strongly in the coming years.
The impact of the result on the teams' standings
With this victory, NEOM its points tally to 28, moving into a safe mid-table position and distancing itself significantly from the relegation battle, continuing its pursuit of a higher ranking befitting its ambitions. On the other hand, Al- Riyadh points remained at 12, worsening its position at the bottom of the table and further complicating its fight to avoid relegation from the Pro League, placing considerable pressure on the team in the remaining rounds of the competition.
